Be sure to read our latest SSD article: The SSD Relapse for an updated look at the SSD market.

Earlier today the FedEx man dropped off a box with this in it:

That's the new X25-M G2 I wrote about yesterday, which features a slightly improved controller and 34nm NAND flash. Im hard at work on a full review but I thought I'd share some preliminary data with you all.

As I mentioned yesterday, the new drive has a silver enclosure. Intel says the new enclosure is cheaper than the old black one:

The X25-M G2 (top) vs. the X25-M G1 (bottom)

Our sample also shipped with a plastic spacer so the drive can be used in 9.5mm 2.5" bays as well as 7mm bays by removing the spacer.

Take a close look at the part numbers. A bit hard to read given the resolution of the pic's, but I'd bet the old unit uses the equivalent of Micron MT29F64G08CFxxx 64Gb parts, and the new unit uses the equivalent of Micron MT29F128G08CJxxx 128Gb parts.

Micron production MLC parts for both are available only in TSOP 48. The package dimensions also appear to be the same, and per ONFI 1.0 (on which Intel says they're based), that could be easily verified from the package dimensions. The controller is obviously BGA.

As to why the potting or lack of... thermal, shock, anti-whatever... but I'd guess Intel has just gotten better with the qualification/manufacturing process. Reply

BGA chips typically do not need potting. In fact, the vast, vast majority of BGAs - including some that run very hot - are not potted at all.

If the original Intel SSD used extensive potting - I don't know myself, I've not opened up my 60GB SLC drive - I'd assume it would be as an anti-counterfiting measure to prevent far-east outfits from screwing with the innards and then selling the drives more expensively as a higher capacity unit. Reply